Mount TBR 2015 discussion
Level 5: Mt. Kilamanjaro (60)
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#TBR20 x 3
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Marina wrote: "Hey An, nice to see you've joined the group! Good luck with your challenge :-)"Thank you! You too!
Book #1: Cold Earth by Sarah MossRating: ★★★★
I had bought this book on impulse (because it was a bargain AND because I had read another book by Sarah Moss which I really enjoyed, Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland. I've had it for about a year, so that's not too bad. I really enjoyed it. It has a good plot (haunted archaeological digs in Greenland while in the outside world a pandemic is threatening mankind) and although it's off to a slow start, the story really picks up AND comes to a nice conclusion.
physical TBR: 1/20
Book #2: Night Waking by Sarah MossRating: ★★★★
Another Sarah Moss book. Very enjoyable. I'll be reading Bodies of Light soon, which focuses on the family which already makes an appearance in Night Waking. Very much looking forward to that one.
physical TBR: 2/20
I really like how you planned out your challenge, An! Good luck with it, especially the book buying/borrowing ban.
Iselin wrote: "I really like how you planned out your challenge, An! Good luck with it, especially the book buying/borrowing ban."Thanks! So far it's fun but I'm sure the buying/borrowing ban will prove difficult.
Book #3: The Raw Shark TextsRating: ★★★★
I had won this book in a Twitter competition a little over a year ago, browsed through it but was put off by the gimmicky-looking stuff inside. So glad I read it now! Really gripping.
Book #4: Granta 129Rating: ★★★★
Not on my shelf for very long, but as I have a subscription to the magazine, the new issue will arrive in a few weeks, so I like to keep up with my reading.
Next up: My Salinger Year and Granta 110: Sex
Book #5: My Salinger YearRating:★★★★★
One of my recent books. I really loved this story (a memoir, focusing on Rakoff's year working at a literary agency in the 1990s).
Book #6: The Flame AlphabetRating:★★★
I picked this one up on a trip to London almost 2 years ago. I enjoyed the ideas brought forward in this book, the storytelling not so much. Still worth a read.
Book #7: Granta 110: SexRating:★★★
I had been wanting to read this for a while, so it's nice I finally got around to it. Not all of it to my taste, but the story by Adam Foulds was just sublime.
Book #8: The Good ChildrenRating:★★★
A review copy sent to me in December, so I added it to my TBR project.
An enjoyable family saga, but too long.
Book #9: A Brief Stop on the Road from AuschwitzRating:★★★★
I bought this book when it won an important literary price in Sweden, had started reading it, but hadn't finished completely. Now I did. The English translation is out now by the way. Recommended.
Bev wrote: "Hi, An! Glad you're with us--and you're doing great!"Thanks! It was high time I took up a challenge like this :)
Book #11: Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned" by Lena DunhamRating:★★★
One I recently purchased, when it was cheap on Kindle. I wouldn't have read it otherwise. I have to say I enjoyed it in places, but I also often found myself thinking 'why are you telling us this?'
Book #13: One Day by David NichollsRating:★★★★★
Wonderful book. I had won a copy (a deluxe version even) so it wasn't a book I had chosen myself, which is probably why it lingered on my shelf. Needless to say I'm very happy I read it.
Iselin wrote: "Woa, An, you're past the first peak! Congrats."Thanks! You're getting on well too I've seen. I really like this challenge. Those books have been waiting far too long.
Book #14: Stone Mattress: Nine Tales by Margaret AtwoodRating:★★★★
One of the recent books of my TBR. My rule is that I count for this challenge the books purchased before 2015, so this one just made the cut. I really liked these stories. One of my favourite collections so far.
Book #15: En storm kom från paradiset by Johannes AnyuruRating:★★★★
Johannes Anyuru tells the story of his father's flight from Uganda after Idi Amin's coup.
Book #20: A Sense of Direction: Pilgrimage for the Restless and the Hopeful by Gideon Lewis-KrausRating:★★★★
The lack of choice (only 4 books on my physcial TBR pile left) was bothering me so I switched to my ebook TBR again. Good that I did, because this brilliant book about pilgrimage cured my reading slump.
Book #23: One of Our Thursdays Is Missingby Jasper FfordRating:★★★
I enjoyed this book, but maybe I've had a bit enough of this series. Well, I've still got The Woman Who Died a Lot so I'll read at least one more.
An wrote: "The lack of choice (only 4 books on my physcial TBR pile left) was bothering me so I switched to my ebook TBR again. Good that I did, because this brilliant book about pilgrimage cured my reading slump. ."
Glad you were able to find a way out of your reading slump.
Glad you were able to find a way out of your reading slump.
Bev wrote: "An wrote: "The lack of choice (only 4 books on my physcial TBR pile left) was bothering me so I switched to my ebook TBR again. Good that I did, because this brilliant book about pilgrimage cured m..."Me too :)
Book #24 and book 20/20 of my physical TBR pile: Middlemarch. It took me a long time to read it, but I really enjoyed it.Rating:★★★★
Bev wrote: "And...Mount Blanc done! Two mountain peaks conquered!"Oh, that's good :-)
I'm a bit behind on schedule but at least I've gotten somewhere already!
Book #25: The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel VasquezRating: ★★★★★
This was an amazing book. I think I bought it when it won the 2014 International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award, but I hadn't really felt like reading it, even though it's set in Colombia and would have been perfect for my Around the World challenge last year. I'm so glad I read it now. It will most definitely be one of the highlights of my reading year.
Book #27: TransAtlantic by Colum McCannRating: ★★★★
I loved TransAtlantic. It took a while, but once I got familiar with the characters and time frames, I loved it.
Book #28: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante.
Rating: ★★★★
I enjoyed this book, but I'm still not sure how I feel about the whole Elena Ferrante hype.
Book #30: OrfeoRating: ★★★
Book #31: Broken Harbour
Rating: ★★★★
Book #32: Raven Black
Rating: ★★★
Book #33: The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher
Rating: ★★★
Book #34: The Spider King's Daughter
Rating: ★★★
Book #35: Meeting the English: A Novel
Did not finish
Book #36: Almost English
Did not finish
Book #37: I Am Pilgrim
Did not finish
I had a few disappointments in my ebooks #TBR20 pile, but luckily the last three have been very good to brilliant:Book # 38: All That Is Solid Melts into Air by Darragh McKeon
Rating:★★★
A grim account of the Chernobyl aftermath
Book # 39: The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
Rating:★★★★★
I absolutely loved this riveting story of missionaries and natives in 17th century Canada.
Book # 40: Benediction by Kent Haruf
Rating:★★★★
Maybe not wise to start with the last book of the Plainsong trilogy, but it happened to be the one on my Kindle. I loved Haruf's gentle style. Very moving. I'll definitely read more of his work.
Book # 41: The Christmas Cafe by Amanda ProwseRating: ★★★
Back on the TBR track. A festive read for the season.
Books mentioned in this topic
The Christmas Cafe (other topics)All That Is Solid Melts Into Air (other topics)
The Orenda (other topics)
Benediction (other topics)
The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher (other topics)
More...




I have made a list of 20 ebooks and 20 physical books that have been lingering on my shelves far too long. The idea is to read these 40 books (starting January 1) and not buy or borrow any new books before they are finished.
✓ ebook TBR20: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Progress: 20/20
✓ physical TBR20: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Progress: 20/20
A third TBR20 pile will be made and read as soon as the two above have been processed.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Progress: 1/20